5 ballet-inspired workout videos that will tone your whole body

As a child, I wanted to be a ballerina when I grew up. I dreamed of a world filled with pink tights and pointe shoes. I obsessively collected books of ballet stories. But sadly, I got boobs instead of long, graceful legs and my ballet dream pretty much died.

Happily I can still pretend I’m Anna Pavlova with a little help from my friend Youtube.

There are literally hundreds of ballet workout videos out there. We’ve made things easy for you and found five of our favourites. There’s everything from easy beginner workouts to actual performances. You’ll be dancing like a pro in no time.

If you don’t know a plie from a pas de deux then this video is a good place to start. The easy and simple stretches might not look like much but you’ll feel them working . You only need a yoga mat to follow along at home. Also the host has one of those concert microphones so it feels sort of like a performance already.

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This workout opened with an ad for the Soul Cycle movie which should tell you everything you need to know. You’re probably going to want to have some level of core fitness to start with for this one. Prepare to feel the burn especially after those thigh lifts. Also this does involve some barre work but a chair works just as well.

Okay I love Autumn. There’s something about her friendly intro that puts me at ease straight away. She moves nicely through the exercises and helpfully explains exactly how to do each one. The video’s also only seven minutes so it’s super easy to fit this workout in on a busy day. Also she puts the official ballet names for each exercise on the screen so later you can casually drop them into conversation with friends and sound like a pro.

This is a fat burning barre workout so be prepared to work hard. Jessica moves pretty fast between exercises so it might be worth watching it through first to make sure you don’t miss out on any important steps. It also features her adorable pooch napping in the back (the moment he rolls onto his tummy was my personal highlight fyi).

No list of ballet workouts is complete without this video. This is the real deal guys. This is a full on feature film with an intro by SJP and staring actual professional ballerinas. Honestly even if you’re not working out, just watch this. If only I looked that angelic while exercising. Completely O.T.T. and I promise you will love every second of it.

So there you have it, our five favourite ballet workout videos. See you at the barre.